Gandhi's Grandson Brings Message Of Non-Violence To UNC Campus

WRAL.com ^ | October 4, 2001 | Julia Lewis

[Constitution Day]

There was a message of peace on the UNC campus Wednesday night.

Hundreds of people packed the south lawn to hear Dr. Arun Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi's grandson, speak about peaceful alternatives to war.

Gandhi told the crowd that before we can understand our enemies we need to respect our differences.

[Constitution Day]

Sir Winston Churchill on Mohandas K. Gandhi:

"It is... nauseating to see Mr. Gandhi, a seditious Middle Temple lawyer now posing as a fakir of a type well known in the East,
striding half-naked up the steps of the Vice-Regal Palace, while he is still organizing and conducting a defiant campaign of civil disobedience,
to parley on equal terms with the representative of the King..."

Yet another voice in the chorus that would have us turn tail and allow our enemies to do as they please.
At the bare minimum, we can say this about his grandson: he appears to be fully dressed.

[camle]

Why don't he take hiss little peace tour to Kabul? I'm sure they'd extend the warm welcome that he so richly deserves.

[mdittmar]

We have to go deeper into this and find out why are these terrorists against us

Sorry Gandhi,I just need to see them DEAD!!

[Deb]

I'm sure none of the campus morons saw the irony in the fact that both this guy's mother and grandfather were assassinated...unless this is that phony Gandhi who illegally contributed to the Clinton campaign and gave him that dopey award, in which case why is he not in jail?

[Constitution Day]

This is just one in a string of "peace" events in Chapel Hill, North Carolina's Berkeley.

Not everyone there is like that: UNC College Republicans are holding a patriotism rally tomorrow at noon.

Pro American Rally At UNC-Chapel Hill, North Carolina

[daniel1q]

The problem with Gandhian philosophy is that it works only in particular situations. It worked for Indian nationalists who sought freedom from British rule -- simply disobey all the unjust rules until the entire society essentially grinds to a halt. It's also worth noting, however, that since Gandhi implored his people to never put up a fight against the British, the British walked out of India with virtually all of the wealth that had brought them there in the first place. London museums are overflowing with Indian treasures. Nonviolence may have won them freedom, but violence would have won them freedom and riches.
It worked, to some small extend, by Martin Luther King, Jr. Peaceful lobbying of the government did have some impact on the further government push toward equal civil rights, although one could argue that the more radical and violent black groups played some role in that.
However, nonviolence is simply not a solution at this time. We cannot sit by while these Arabs dismantle us piece by piece, all the while saying "Oh dear, peace will win out." Certainly, peace will win out after we are all dead and the world is run by one sect of fundamentalist Islam.
Essentially, the idea of Gandhian philosophy has been extended to be an absolute truth instead of a situational truth. That's a dangerous folly, and one that I hope that our officials do not follow. We must strike, and strike hard.

[Constitution Day]

I agree completely. Are you Indian, by the way? I noticed your screen name.

Welcome to FR.

[lavaroise]

Why do those racist peace nicks keep denying that a message of peace sent to white caucasian brits will work but one against muslims won't. Gandhi's ways were ok with civilized British, but his utopia of peace with muslims and Pakistan killed him and his killing is country economicaly today.

Now that Pakistan has nukes, What Would Gandhi Do?

FOUR or FIVE words: LUNATIC UTOPIC SELF-AGRANDISING RACIST MORONS.

[Constitution Day]

You make some excellent points. Non-violence is simply suicide when faced with a foe that will stop at nothing.

[Constitution Day]

Irony usually escapes liberals of this stripe.

They bitch about the "oppression" of the "rich patriarchal white male overclass" while driving BMWs and living off Daddy's trust fund.

[Nuke'm Glowing]

Why was there no mandatory

BARF ALERT

with this posting when talking about UNC????? Please let's get with the etiquette on this board...

[Billthedrill]

People seem to forget that although Gandhi preached non-violence, the actual stream of events leading to Great Britain's withdrawal was anything but non-violent - to the tune of some 2 million Indian dead. Antiwar idealists seem intent on shoving this inconvenient little fact out of sight when claiming non-violence as a panacea.

One of the solutions we are trying in Iraq is "non-violent" - an embargo that the antiwar types are now claiming has killed as many as a million people (out of a total population of 22 million - yeah, right). I'm thinking non-violence ain't all it's cracked up to be.

[Psycho_Bunny]

"what can we do to change the circumstances"

Devistate and utterly destroy your enemy. Kill those that need to be killed. That's the only course of action which has ever truely worked.

[TOMH1]

If I recall, didn't the senior Mr. Gandhi try to do a deal with the Japanese before/during WWII under the guise of "The enemy (Japan) of my enemy (England) is my friend (Japan)." The Japanese at that time were certainly a non-violent and pacifist nation.

[Constitution Day]

SO Sorry! I forgot the BARF ALERT.

Will a barf bag suffice, since I didn't warn you?

[dirtboy]

Hundreds of people packed the south lawn to hear Dr. Arun Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi's grandson, speak about peaceful alternatives to war.

Non-violence only works when appealing for change to moral societies. I'm sure dictators such as Saddam Hussein love non-violent protestors - it saves a bundle on police overtime to arrest and shoot them all.

[dirtboy]

"We have to go deeper into this and find out why are these terrorists against us, why do they hate us so much and what can we do to change the circumstances,"

Yeah, that was so effective in Tianamen Square...

[Constitution Day]

I believe you are correct.

Yes, the Imperial Japanese Army was the paragon of peacefulness and virtue at that time. /sarcasm

[Schnucki]

Hang on, didn't Gandhi give his approval to men "using violence in a moral cause" during the rioting in Calcutta??

Didn't Gandhi bless the Nawab of Maler Kotla when he gave orders to shoot ten Muslims for every Hindu killed in his state?

Didn't the armies of India (that Gandhi had created) march immediately into battle, after independence in 1947, incorporating the state of Hyderabad by force and making war in Kashmir on secessionist Pakistan?

Didn't they give him a vast military funeral when he died?

Somebody correct me if this is wrong! ;)

[milestogo]

Where is the barf alert?

[Moby Grape]

As Newt Ginrigh VERY aptly pointed out on FOX NEWS recently, "If Ghandi had been facing Hitler with his non-violence message instead of the British, he would have been killed."

[Constitution Day]

See post 15 above. Sorry.

I have encountered the BARF ALERT so much since 09/11 that it's like crying wolf now.

[Constitution Day]

More silliness from here in the Tar Heel state.

[Nuke'm Glowing]

An Eastern one no less! Classic and thank you.

[Constitution Day]

I thought it appropriate since Eastern used to be so prominent (along with Piedmont) here in N.C.

[Constitution Day]

Ain't it the truth.

[LS]

Actually, the idiot would sit by and let his nation get nuked. He told Churchill that he should "let Hitler and Mussolini take what they want of your beautiful island" and that if the Germans wouldn't negotiate, then "you should let them kill every one of you."

This is ultimate idiocy.

[Constitution Day]

*

[SlickWillard]

The Gandhi Nobody Knows
Richard Grenier
Commentary, March 1983

I'd post the whole thing, but it would swamp your thread.

[mykdsmom]

It makes me sick that my tax dollars are going to support this communist training camp.

Plenty of them too I might add, since they just raised our taxes once again. Do we now qualify for the highest taxes in the SE award?

I know that UNC has one of the lowest tuition rates in the country, if not the lowest.

If we have to have this mess in our state the least they can do is to make the communist parents pay for their commies in training college indoctrination.

Cause I'm sick and tired of paying it. I need to move out of this state ASAP.

MKM

[NorCoGOP]

speak about peaceful alternatives to war

I keep hearing these peaceniks saying we need "alternatives" - but, no one can offer any.....

[BurkeanCyclist]

Actually, he is Mohandas "Mahatma" Gandhi's grandson. Indira Gandhi was not related to Mohandas Gandhi. She just happened to marry a guy named Gandhi.

[Constitution Day]

MKM,

If you leave, then the Tax-O-Crats have won!

The NC legislature pushed through the tax hike while our attention was diverted to New York.
The sheer lunacy of raising taxes while the state is losing jobs just shows you how deeply embedded the nanny-state mentality is embedded in the Dems.

Once people turn their attention back to politics, you'll hear a bit more outrage, I bet.
Especially at tax time!

Also, I think Gov. Easley will be a one termer. He's a joke, and I am ashamed to admit he is from my home town of Rocky Mount.

Hope your week is going well.

CD

[Elenya]

"We have to go deeper into this and find out why are these terrorists against us, why do they hate us so much and what can we do to change the circumstances," he said.

We already know why they're against us, why they hate us so much and what we can do to change the circumstances, which is:

GandtheD

[RnMomof7]

"We have to go deeper into this and find out why are these terrorists against us, why do they hate us so much and what can we do to change the circumstances," he said.

They hate us..we are infidels...they want us dead

Now do we have your permission to bomb them into the last century?

[Constitution Day]

Thanks for that.
I will have to read it later, though - it really WOULD swamp the thread!

[Darth Reagan]

Gandhi the younger probably doesn't understand the difference between his grandfather's situation and this one. If the British were wontonly murdering innocent civilians throughout India, I suspect Mohandas would have done a bit more than a "sit-in".

[Constitution Day]

"Was. But thank god. I am now an American."

In that case, Welcome to America and to FR !!

We need more like you, sir (or madam).
It seems that lately some Americans who were born here are ashamed of it.
Your statement refutes what some have been insinuating recently, that everyone from outside our borders hates the US and its people.

My wife is also a naturalized citizen, from South Africa.
She became a citizen in 1997 and is equally thankful to be an American.

[Constitution Day]

"Now do we have your permission to bomb them into the last century?"

I was thinking more along the lines of a couple of millenia back, personally!

[Alberta's Child]

A UNC spokesman said that Mr. Gandhi was not paid for his appearance, but the university did pay for a new wardrobe and had to provide him a private room where he could change out of his 7-11 uniform. Nobody had ever heard of this gentleman until today, and it is not known when he will eb heard from again.

/sarcasm off/

[Constitution Day]

LOL! You are too much.

(I can just imagine a picture by "Registered" of Gandhi with a 7-11 hat on)

[pray4liberty]

Excellent post.

This fellow has forgotten his grandfather's words as befits nonviolence. Gandhi said that if he had to choose between cowardice and violence, he would choose violence. He emphasized that there were correct and appropriate uses for violence, i.e. self-defense.

Also another thing being conveniently forgotten is that others have declared a holy war on us. He ought to dig out the Gita and read it over, in particular the comments Krishna made to Arjuna about fighting a righteous battle that was unprovoked!

[Prodigal Daughter]

I have that book. Gandhi ordered his two sons to be celibate.

Page 95 from the book:

And in the end he let her die (his wife) rather than allow British doctors to give her a shot of penicillin (while his inner voice told him that it would be all right for him to take quinine). He disowned his eldest son, Harilal, for wishing to marry. He banished his second son for giving his struggling older brother a small sum of money. Harilal grew quite wild with rage against his father, attacked him in print, converted to Islam, took to women, drink and died an alcoholic in 1948. The Mahatma attacked him right back in his pious way, proclaiming modestly in an open letter in Young India, Men may be good, not necessarily their children."

I hope his grandson knows he's alive because his father rebelled against Gandhi.

[bluetoad]

[pray4liberty]

I hope his grandson knows he's alive because his father rebelled against Gandhi.

You raise an interesting point: if his father converted to Islam, is Arun Gandhi a Muslim, or Hindu?

[Deb]

Rats! But my "irony" comment till applies.

I was sure Indira was his daughter, maybe it was Nasser's daughter I was thinking of.